Unexpected Twist
by Tinkleshroom
Summary: My first fan fiction ever. Reviews welcome. Takes place five years after Pitch Black. Riddick gets an unexpected message from Imam, but things aren't as they seem.
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Black, Riddick or Jack, though I wish I did. pout**_

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_I aint no fuckin' hero. All these legends and stories about me aren't even close to the  
damn truth. Killed a thousand..ten thousand...Stories and vids about me ghosting  
hundreds is a bit of a stretch. Sure, I've killed, big damn deal. I did what I had to to  
survive. The legend of the bad ass Riddick lives on, out of the mouth of mercs and  
idiots who've never met me._

_The damn holy man didn't help one bit either. Sure, he and the kid told everyone I   
died, but that didn't stop him from spouting out how I "saved" them from the gut-  
splitters on T2. Said I died in glory and that horseshit pulling them into the ship before  
I got gutted myself. The man couldn't help an embellishment or two, I suppose. And  
people believed it. Messed up my reputation something fierce. Richard B. Riddick, gone  
from psycho ass-kicker to some pansy assed knight in tarnished armor. It's almost  
enough to make me sick, either that or fall on my ass laughing._

_It's been five years, five long years since we rocketed off T2. I've covered my ass pretty  
well, stayed low on a far off planet that no one ever visits. It might be because of the  
constant storms, or the cover of dark clouds that hide the surface. It's dark, sure, but at  
least there aren't any fucking whistling monsters trying for a piece of my hide. Since I'm  
supposed to be dead, mercs aren't on my trail looking for a payday, but it doesn't mean I'm  
going soft. Hell no. I'm not stupid enough to think that it's all over. It's more like the quiet  
before the storm. Before the shit hits the fan. And I've got a feeling that the fan is just  
starting to spin. Call it instinct._

_Sometimes, when the lightning cracks in the ion storms, too bright for my eyes to tolerate,  
I lie back in my small bed, feet hanging over the edge and remember. Damn kid..tried three  
times to stow away on my ship when I was leaving, begged me not to leave her alone with  
the holy man on New Mecca. Cried every single time that I dragged her skinny ass out.  
She fought pretty damn hard the last time, those nails that I forgot about gave me a few  
good scratches. I had to admire her spirit, but there was no fucking way I could have a naive  
kid trailing my ass everywhere. I finally ended up having to knock her senseless before I  
drug her back to the Imam's house. He was pretty furious, but what the hell else was I  
supposed to do? I didn't want to shiv her after I managed to drag her outta T2. Would've  
been a waste of energy for all I'm concerned._

_Hell, the Holy Man said he'd care for her, keep her out of trouble. I'dve only gotten her in  
more. Part of me wonders if she's still the skinny brat, and if she's grown that hair out.  
Don't know why that kid touched me like she did; she wasn't much to look at and she wasn't  
all that smart. Fuck..I don't even know why I think about her. It's not like I'm going to see  
Jack again._

The buzz of the fatline in the landed ship buzzed, breaking him out of his thoughts That had happened  
only twice in the last five years, and it was always the same man. Sitting up, Riddick pressed recieve,  
and waited for the holo generator to warm up. What was it this time? Probably like the last two, a  
short message letting him know that they were fine..doing well...that kinda shit. He'd never responded.  
That part of his life was over, maybe he shouldn't have given the holy man his access codes. What the  
hell, it broke the monotony.

The holo-gen warmed and the flickering image of the dark-skinned man appeared in the grey-green hue  
that the holo projector always cast him in. Riddick sat back, crossing his arms as the mouth began to  
move, slightly out of sync with the words that suddenly came through. The man's face looked strained  
through the flicker, and the voice that faded in and out wasn't the composed tone that Riddick had  
remembered. 

"They know... " a fade and flicker and the voice returned. "..price on your head. They've took her...."  
the voice dropped out, and Riddick smacked the holo-gen. "...wouldn't tell. They think to draw you...must  
hurry before they know I'm speaking. .... threatened to take her to T2 and leave. I'm sorry, Mr.Riddick.  
She's... " The holo-gen spluttered and died, the message gone.

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	2. Chapter One

_I should have listened to my gut. I should have known that I wouldn't be able to find  
any kind of peace on that blasted planet. Fuck. What did Imam expect? For me to  
play the hero? It's not guilt that plopped my butt here in the dark waiting. It's the  
damn kid, and wondering what kind of trouble she's gotten herself in to. Apparently,  
from what I can understand, her trouble is my damn fault, so it's up to me to haul  
her skinny ass out of trouble. Again. Here comes the tarnished knight, yee-fucking-haw._

_Someone should teach the Holy Man about cheap locks. Easy to pick, way too damn  
easy to get a drop on him. _

Riddick stood shrouded in shadows, the sounds in the modest house quiet. Everything seemed  
to be in place. Inhaling through his mouth, he caught the faint scents of patchouli and lavender,  
the taste of scented oils filling his mouth. Nothing. No blood, like he had thought there might be,  
no scent of the copper nor the stench of decay. It seemed...normal. The kind of tranquility that  
the Imam cherished.

A slight creak from above, upstairs, stilled him and he listened. Foot steps. His fingers clenched  
around the hilt of a shiv, clutching methodically as he crouched and watched. A tall figure came  
into sight at the top of the stairs, a male shape clad in a thick robe. Silver eyes narrowed as the  
man came into view. _Holy man..you don't look so uptight now. _

Riddick watched as the Imam walked quietly into the kitchen, went to the cabinet and got a glass.  
Inhaling again, he neither tasted of the acrid scent of fear or the slightly bitter taste of stress, only  
dull sleepiness. "Seems very calm, Imam."

The tall black man whirled on his feet, the glass dropping to shatter on the tiled floor. Riddick  
watched him search the shadows, his eyes clearly revealing recognition of the disembodied  
voice. "Mr. Riddick?"

Stepping out of the dark shadows, Riddick, crossed his arms over his chest, tapping the blade  
of a shiv against one bicep. "I got your message, holy man, but it doesn't look like I'm needed  
that much. Can you tell me why you asked me to break cover and fly half the sector to get here?"

Confusion laced Imam's face, his brow furrowing. "Message, Mr. Riddick? You must be mistaken."  
The broken glass cracked as Riddick took another step forward, his boots crushing the shards  
to powder. "I respected your need to leave, Mr. Riddick. I've never messaged you."

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	3. Chapter Two

_He doesn't like having a shiv to his throat, but I don't fucking like being  
lied to either. I didn't come all the way here to be the ass end of a pathetic__  
joke. Only he had the codes to the fatline and according to the latest buzz that__  
I picked up, I'm still ripped apart on T2. I ain't stupid and I'm not about to__  
fall for this load of bullshit he's trying to pass over on me. _

Riddick's eyes narrowed on the Imam's face, the silver orbs glinting in the faint light  
of the kitchen. Pressing the shiv closer to the man's neck, he stepped forward, speaking  
softly. "Bullshit. I've gotten three messages from you, holy man. Three in the past five years.  
The first two weren't important, but in the last, it was still your face and your voice, Imam.  
You said she was gone, that she was taken You were the only one with my codes." He let  
the shiv knick Imam's neck, barely a graze, but enough to know that he was completely  
serious. "Don't fuck with me, holy man. Where is she?"

Confusion and fear twisted the black man's expression and it was apparent that he  
was desperately trying not to break away from the cold cutting edge of the blade at  
his neck. "I never sent a message, Riddick. Jack is at a friend's home for the evening.  
I am telling you the truth, I swear it. There has never been a cause to send for you or  
to write you. " The Imam swallowed, his throat working against the shiv as it bit  
closer and held absolutely still as the shiv was slowly lowered.

Clasping a hand to his neck, stepped back, taking long deep breaths. "I would not  
lie to you, Mr. Riddick. I do have your codes, but I never used them, nor have I  
shared them. "

The muscles in Riddick's jaw knotted as his eyes looked around the kitchen,  
every muscle taut. If an attack had been coming, it would have happened by now, but it  
didn't quell the disquiet in his gut. "Someone sent the message Imam.You aren't in  
the clear yet." Eyes searched, but found nothing.

"There is no one here, Riddick, I promise you. " Wiping away the slight trail of blood  
on his neck, the Imam gestured towards the small message console in the living room.  
"Here, I will show you the records, maybe then, you will believe what I have told you. "

"After you, Holy Man."

The slender man walked towards the console, hands slightly raised in order not  
to give the volatile Riddick any excuse to distrust him. He bent over the console,  
Riddick close behind him. Pecking out instructions on the small pad, he brought up  
recent com logs and trailed over them with a finger. "You see? Your code is not on  
the recent logs."

"Go back farther." Riddick's eyes searched the screen and he moved the Imam to  
the side, watching him before he scanned the older logs himself. Nothing. _What  
the fuck? I know I didn't dream it. My mind isn't that far gone._

"Now you see. You weren't called. There is no need for you to be here. Jack and  
I are both well. I can call her, if you like..."

Riddick cut him off. "Don't bother." He stepped away from the console, his head  
tilted to the side as he tried to figure what in the hell had happened. Tapping the shiv  
on the console, his jaw tightened and loosened rythmically. Straightening he pushed  
away from the console and glanced at the door, still half-expecting it to burst open.

"You can stay for a few days, if you like. I'm sure that she'd be glad to see you.."

"No. I was gone, and I'll stay gone."

"Will you be returning to your ship then?"

Riddick turned his gaze to the Imam, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I only ask because I could provide transportation, Mr. Riddick, nothing more."

"I don't need it." Riddick walked away, then glanced out a window before he  
opened the door. "Delete my codes, Holy Man. You're on your own." He stepped  
out of the door, and closed it firmly behind him.

Walking back towards the docks, Riddick didn't let his mind wander, listening for  
the faint footfalls of anyone behind him. Nothing. His gut, his instinct told him that  
all was not right, that he was missing something, The proverbial fan had definately  
started moving, all he could do now was to prepare for the messy splatter, where  
ever or whenever it might start.

The docks were quiet and he was let back in without a murmur, without a question .  
Even thoroughly checking the hull of his small ship, he found nothing. No tracer, no  
sign of tampering. Brow knitted, he punched the key codes to the door and inhaled  
deeply before he stepped in. Nothing; all was quiet, smelling of himself and the scents  
of travel.

Moving to the cockpit, he sat, requesting clearance to launch and quickly recieving it.  
Nothing odd there. As he pressed the autolaunch sequence, his world shattered and  
blackened. A sharp blow to the back of his head, keeled him over with a loud grunt  
and he felt himself hit the floor of the cockpit hard. Before his vision dulled, he saw  
two pair of thick soled boots, and then nothing. 


	4. Chapter Three

**Thanks for the feedback so far, everyone. It makes it a lot easier to keep  
updating now that I know that people are actually reading this :)**

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_Whoever hit me, hit me pretty fucking hard. Most likely a rifle butt, but it felt  
like a damn hammer. Smart too, to hog tie my stupid ass. Must have heard__  
about my gift of escape, but I've gotten out of worse. Goggles gone, blind__  
folded, but I'm not helpless. By the lightened weight, I know I'm not on a  
__planet, and there are sounds of movement nearby. Still can't smell anything  
different,__ and my head is fucking pounding. Motherfucker will pay for busting  
me that__damn hard..hell..he'll pay for coming on to my ship._

_Light footsteps and the soft rustle of cloth. Too light to be a man, even with  
the clunky heels. I remember the boots, black leather, thick soles, slim ankles.__  
A woman. A woman with small feet and one hell of a good arm. A merc?__  
A smart merc would have done more than leave me on the floor, they__  
would have tranked my ass and would have put a bit in my mouth. I bite. Been__  
known to tear a throat or two, but lets not think about pleasantries. That can__  
come later._

_This explains the message at least. Should've known better than to hurry my  
ass back. Possibilities...One: Imam ratted me out. Two: Messages were traced__  
and he was smart enough to erase them after he found out. Three: Fucking  
coincidence, but not likely. Or four, my payday hasn't hit the boards yet._

"Nice to see you again..Riddick." The soft contra alto caught his attention  
and he turned his head towards the voice. It was different, but he caught the familiar  
cadence and inflections.

_Scratch those. Damn..she was smarter than I took her for._

" Jack." His nose twitched, and he shifted against his bonds. "What the  
fuck do you think you're doing?" A soft mocking laugh and he heard the squeak of boots  
as she knelt near him, but sensibly not too close. "I just thought I'd drop in to say hi, see  
if you got my messages."

"Hi, my ass. You could've done that without trying to knock my eyes out of  
my skull." He tested the bonds again, felt chain and smirked. "Thought this  
out didn't you?"

"I took precautions. "

"Great, now fucking undo this shit." There wasn't any request in his voice,  
instead, a low raspy command, filled with anger.

The soft voice of Jack snorted. "I'm not stupid either, Riddick I know you  
and I remember that knock that you gave me five years ago. I don't want  
to repeat the experience. As for your situation, let's call this five years worth of  
payback." 

"Payback? You've got a strange idea of graditude for me saving your skinny ass."

The soft voice dropped, anger making her words sharp. "Payback for leaving me.  
I begged you Riddick. I fucking begged you! I spent five years on that planet, stuck  
with Imam because I didn't have anywhere else to go. You didn't even care enough  
to reply to the messages, so fuck graditude. You saved me, but you didn't care about  
Imam...or me. I looked up to you, Riddick. How do you think I felt, being abandoned  
again? "

"That was your mistake, so spare me the self-pity. I didn't want you with me and I  
still don't."

"Looks like you don't have a choice anymore, Riddick. But don't worry, it won't be  
for long."

"Glad to hear it."

"Don't you want to know why?" Her voice, so soft, was harsh.

"One, I don't give a fuck. Two, if it were going to be for any longer than a few days,  
you would've popped me into cryosleep long before I woke up. Three, whatever  
plans you have don't mean shit. You think this'll hold me?"

There was a pause, then a soft snicker. "It'll hold you well enough I think. At least  
until we meet the merc ship. Don't growl, it won't help. I stopped being afraid of  
you a long time ago."

"You should really fucking start." A sharp prick on his arm and he snarled, tossing  
his head. "Bitch!"

He limpened, but he heard her voice before he slumped into unconsciousness.  
"I learned from the best, so you should know." He didn't feel the soft touch on his head  
or the soft sigh as the finger trailed down his cheek. "Sleep well, Riddick." 


End file.
